In Another World
by ShanMah
Summary: AU . Saiyans takes over the Earth, and Vegeta attempts to take over Bulma - which is easier said than done, of course. All right I know my summary skills still are terrible...
1. The beginning of the end

**Disclaimer:** I do not own DB, DBZ, DBK, the characters involved, the Saiyans, etc. I own only my plot and this is nothing but a mere fanfiction, written for my pleasure and, if I don't screw it up, yours.

**Rating:** M. Definitely.

**POV:** Bulma's.

**Pairing:** Vegeta/Bulma. THOUGH not the way you would think.

**Context:** This is my first attempt at writting a DBZ AU, so I really hope I won't mess up! To sum up a little, here Frieza did not put his purple nose into the Saiyans' lives, hence allowing their empire to expand, and expand, and expand, and Vegeta to be made king at his father's death. Also, something I've been dying to do, Goku did NOT hit his head, which, as you may guess, is bound to interfere a lot in Earth's fate. The rest will be explained by Bulma herself in the next lines.

**Warning:** Though I consider myself fluent in Engligh, it is not my mothertongue (French is), so there may be some stupid mistakes walking their merry way into my chapters. If you spot one, don't hesitate to point it out in a PM or a review, so I can correct it ASAP. Just be polite about it, since there is no need to call me an idiot who couldn't spell to save her life because I forgot a S somewhere, is it? XD Oh, and a last little warning for those who might have read Addiction and/or Unhealthy: this one will be different from them, it's gonna be darker than what I use to write. I had this in my mind and, since I've never written a dark fanfic, I thought "Gee, let's do it" :P

**In Another World  
Chapter 1: The beginning of the end**

My name is Bulma.

I used to have a nice, quiet life. My family was wealthy, very wealthy, thanks to my father being one of the top scientist in the entire world. I suppose I've been quite spoiled as a baby, as a child, and as a teenager. I thought I'd be spoiled as a young adult too, then as an adult, and then as a senior. To be lucky and spoiled until my very last breath was my destiny.

I couldn't have been more mistaken.

Things started to go wrong around the day I turned nineteen.

At first, nobody - including myself - worried. The news just kept talking about a boy. Two things were wrong about that boy: firstly, he had some sort of a monkey tail, and, secondly, he was incredibly strong despite being so young and so little. Now, nobody would've cared if the dark-haired boy didn't spend his whole time going on crazy rampages, leaving terrible damages and numerous deaths behind him. It was insane to think that a boy who looked like he was merely twelve years old was causing such troubles and proven himself to be so unstoppable.

Because they tried, of course, to stop him. The police, the army, the special forces, the secret agencies. The whole alphabet tried to catch that boy, but none of them could. He was too fast, too agile, too strong. He was nothing but a little pest, annoying but impossible to kill like the fly that you can't smash on the wall. Of course, the government tried to convince us that he was nothing but some lunatic that would either be stopped soon, or that would stop this whole thing by himself. Probably he was doing drugs or something, they said.

I don't know about the others, but I didn't quite buy that story.

And then one night...

The moon was full. I used to believe that full moon was romantic and sweet - now I think of the full moon as the symbol of a bloodbath.

If the police, army and government thought the boy was hard to catch, I prefer not to imagine what they thought of the monster he became that night. Some sort of a giant, mindless, and ridiculously powerful monkey. Buildings, cars, people: he smashed and blasted them without any effort. People ran around, trying to hide and escape - I saw so many of them jumping into their cars, but to go where? The army's biggest weapons were powerless against him. So many people, including my parents, died that full-moon night.

After that night, there was no point in us trying to fight back: he, single-handedly, had crushed our soldiers like they were nothing. Most people that could've been considered able to fight back were dead or very badly wounded, so badly wounded that they had no hope of doing anything to help us. Few days after that terrible, bloody night that Earth would never forget, _they_ came. Their ships flew through out atmosphere, crushing the ground like a meteor wherever they landed. Dark-haired men with brown monkey tails came to join that boy. They called him Kakarot.

He was congratulated by them for crushing Earth's defenses so easily and so quickly. And then _they_ said, on_ our _TV, on _our_ radio, that the planet belonged to them now. That whoever would be foolish enough to try and take back Earth would be stopped with brutal force. We believed them, we had seen their brutal force. And, besides... we have nobody left to fight back.

They started to raid and scavenge the Earth. Not only did they take our resources - water, food, metals, _everything_ - to ship them to their planet, but after a short while, we came to realize that they were also taking away people. Men, women, even children: they did not care. They picked them, and boarded them on ships to be sent to their planet, along with the resources they stole from us.

They had been in control of Earth for about four months when a warrior blasted my door opened and seized me with such a firm grip that I thought he had broken some of my bones. I tried to resist, of course, who wouldn't? But it was hopeless. I struggled, and he held me more strongly, taking my hits to his chest and face like they were nothing. I screamed, shouted for help, and he covered my mouth with his gloved hand. I cried, tears ran down my cheeks, and he laughed as he was dragging me towards a ship.

I was pushed into a cell, along with about twenty other people.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked. "What are they going to do to us, those crazy bastards?"  
"What do you think?" a woman spat bitterly to me. "This is slavery. We're not people to them, we're just some other resource they are free to pick."

My blood turned to ice. Slavery? I was to be made a _slave?_ Nobody on Earth ever talked about what happened to those who were caught by these monkey men. Nobody wanted to even _think_ about it, we were all afraid to find out way too soon for our liking. I started to panic... to say the least.

"Woh, woh, woh! I can't be made a _slave,_ what the hell are they thinking? Can't they see the way I look? I'm not suited for manual _work!_"

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Use your brain, Miss Briefs. Aren't you supposed to be a genius?"

I frowned. No, she couldn't _possibly_ mean...

"They are a lot like us beside their tail," she coldly continued. "And you're young and pretty. Take a guess."  
"B-but don't they have their own-"

I screamed in surprise and fell on the floor with many others when the ship suddenly took off. While the others got back on their feet, I stayed on the floor. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I could barely breathe. The only other thing that I could do was think. I thought about what kind of problem God had with me to put me through such thing. I couldn't find out, so I simply closed my eyes and did what I had never did before in my entire life: I prayed. I had never prayed before, I didn't need to. But, now, as those terrifying warriors were taking me away from my beautiful life and beloved planet, I did feel the need to pray.

I prayed that it was just a dream, but it did not fade away. I prayed that the ship ended up with a technical problem forcing them to go back to Earth so that maybe, I could escape. When it did not happen either, I...

I prayed that they would kill me instead of keeping me.

* * *

Somebody was shaking me.

"Hey. Miss Briefs!"

The person shook me harder. I had fallen asleep, I had slept, so maybe it hadn't happened! I opened my eyes, filled with hope, only to meet with an unknown man's green ones.

"We're landing, you'd better wake up before _they_ wake you up."

Landing? It felt like we were _falling_.

"B-but..." I started off, confuse. "How close is their planet, I barely closed my eyes!"  
"They all put us to sleep for the trip. Here, I'll-"

He kindly helped me to get on my feet, which wasn't bad since my whole body felt so numb and stiff after my long, forced sleep on a corner of that hard floor, but we all fell on the floor seconds later, when the ship landed - almost _crashed_ - on the ground. Maybe, just _maybe_, I could escape on our way to wherever we were going, and hide somewhere while they searched, and then steal a space ship and go back to Earth.

I forgot any evasion plan when I saw them. Twenty warriors in their blue suits and white armours, one for each one of us. There was no way I was getting away from all these monsters. The one that caught me was the only bald one, and also the tallest and biggest. My whole body could barely be wrapped around his waist, and he was almost twice as tall as I was. He seized me very violently with one of his huge hands, pulling me very violently out of the cell, and we went outside.

I looked around as much as I could. Not very far away, I could see a huge, fortified building that looked very much like a castle. People were flying in the sky, houses were all white and square, but other than that, I felt like I was on Earth. There was oxygen to breathe, a blue sky upon our heads, trees and grass in the distance.

They seemed to have a beautiful planet. Why take ours? I even saw a female outside her house with a little girl, so they had their own women, why, _why_ take us?

"You're very beautiful," the oversized warrior grunted at me, smirking and glancing down to look at me more carefully. "I hope that king Vegeta lets me have you."  
"Wait until I bite your dick off your body, you won't be so eager to be with me," I snapped back.

He laughed very loud. Surely he wasn't supposed to be the most clever one of his race, or else it was a wonder how they had managed to craft such technology.

"And you won't be so smart-mouthed when you meet him."

I remained silent and kept my head high. I was determined to keep my dignity as long as I could, and to bring Hell to whoever wanted to touch me.

We were separated in the palace: the men and children were pulled to the left, and the women continued on a straight line. The room in which we stopped was very large and dark: it took me a short moment to notice the throne, and remembered the king mentionned by the guy holding me. The door to the other side of the room was opened, and another of these monsters entered.

He didn't have a crown, but I knew it was him nonetheless. He was shorter than the others, yet he scared me even more. We were forced to step aside and "my" warrior freed my arm, allowing blood to flow normally, at long last. The king walked in front of the row we formed, looking carefully at each and every one of us. I didn't understand what he was doing until he stopped in front of me with an hungry look on his face. He was _picking_ his favourite, or something like that. As the king, he surely got to choose first, like the lion eating before the female even though she's the one hunting the food. One of us would have to be with him tonight. I moved back, as much as I could. The furthest I could be from him, the better.

He moved his hand to touch either my face or my long hair, and I slapped it away. Though he did nothing but look slightly amused, the man behind me reacted far more, gripping my hair so firmly and violently that tears came up my eyes.

"Nappa!" the king coldly snapped.

He immediately released me, but I still glared daggers at that Vegeta guy. Smirking with content, he made a nod towards me.

"That one shall me mine," he said. "Have the elites pick among the others."

I frowned. Was he stupid, or what? He didn't seem stupid, the way he spoke actually made him sound quite clever. But he_ had _to be stupid to purposely choose the one that had resisted the most to his touch.

If he thought it would be funny and challenging to break me, then he had another thing coming. Oh, sure it would be challenging.

But I couldn't guarantee it was going to be funny.

**End of the chapter:** Hop hop hop. I hope you liked it, please let me know what you think because it's my first attempt at writting such a fic! ^^


	2. Not even a person

**Chapter 2: Not even a person**

Vegeta took one step towards me: I took one step backward. He took another step forward, and I took another backward. We did it over and over again, until my back reached the wall and I had nowhere else to go, nothing else to do than stand still and allow him to get closer to me. He smirked at me. He seemed to think the whole situation was very amusing.

Well, he was the only one having fun. For now.

I have my flaws - I have never been a good victim.

"I scare you, don't I?" he asked.

I leered at him and held my head high, challenging him through my eyes:

"No."

When he chuckled, as though he did not believe me, as though he did not believe that a weak female wouldn't be afraid of him I continued:

"You disgust me, that's all. Thinking that being stronger than us gives you the right to make our lives hell, why don't you get over yourselves a little?"

I kept my gaze on him, memorizing every detail of his outraged expression.

"Though I understand why you would kidnap women and rape them, _who_ in their right mind would bed any of you bastards!"

He moved so fast the motion was blur and I wasn't even sure I had actually seen something, but the sudden pain on my cheek was there to prove that it had happened.

"Stay away from me," I hissed, pushing myself into the wall as if I hoped it would turn into putty and swallow me whole. "You'd better get the _fuck_ away from me, or else I swear I'll-"  
"You swear you'll _what?_" Vegeta asked, not remotely taken aback by my attitude.

I bit my tongue and my mind shouted when I felt his grip on my hips: I couldn't do anything, and he knew it, of course. Even back on Earth, I was considered physically weak and fragile, but here, against these mighty warriors? There really was no point. It would take him less effort to break my neck than it would take me to snap my fingers together, I was sure of that. I tossed my head aside, trying to avoid his cold face that was getting dangerously closer. In other circumstances, maybe I would've seen him as being handsome, but right now I saw nothing but a monster.

Vegeta tried to kiss me: I bit him in return. I sank my teeth into his bottom lip as hard and painfully as I could. I sank my teeth so deeply into the flesh that I actually felt the metallic taste of blood into my mouth before he had the time to pull back, glaring knives at me. He didn't say a word, but I knew he was angry that I didn't submit myself to him right at the beginning. Perhaps it even hurt his pride that some slave he had gotten on a worthless planet did not seemed honoured that he had picked her to share his bed that night.

Like I should be giggling around because the one who had decided to rape me first was a king. He had another thing coming.

I mentally smirked with content, but it did not last for long: it was never a good idea to piss off a Saiyan, as I learned the moment he seized my throat with his iron-firm grip and carelessly threw me on his bed. I tried to crawl away from him, but he was too strong, too fast. I thought that kid who had rampaged the Earth was ridiculously powerful? I hadn't seen anything yet.

"No!" I shouted.

I had wanted to annoy him royally but now I was scared, scared out of my mind. I had been trying to walk on his ego ever since he had tried to touch my face earlier, ever since he had forced me to enter his bedroom, I had insulted him, I had insulted his whole people just to see the look on his face, but now I felt that it was payback time. I had been trying to be strong but now I couldn't. I couldn't bring him hell, what the fuck was I thinking? _He_ would bring _me_ hell.

"D-don't touch-" I started, trying to push Vegeta away.

It was hopeless, even more hopeless than trying to take down a huge tree with a feather. I hit his chest, his hands, his arms, whatever I could reach, but he felt nothing and I felt like I was punching bricks. I punched, slapped, dug my nails into his skin, tried to kick him and to keep my legs closed: this wasn't right, this wasn't fair. I had never had sex before and I was to discover it through _this?_ My first time had to be _forced_ on me?

What had I done to God to deserve this, I really wondered.

My struggle didn't impress the king at all: it even seemed to please him, and he chuckled to my ear, so darkly that it sent chills down my spine. A cold-blooded murderer, a hearless monster was to take my virginity away. I wanted to die, and I hated whatever twist of destiny had put me into this situation with every fiber of my shaking body. My black, sleeveless shirt was tore apart, along with my denim skirt and I cursed God's name for making me a woman. Surely whatever they did to men was better than this.

I started to cry. I didn't want to, I hated myself for breaking down in front of him like this, but I couldn't just hold it inside. I closed my eyes, I didn't want to see him over me - perhaps if I shut my eyes tight enough, then my mind would shut too, and this wouldn't be happening anymore - but he immediately grabbed my chin.

"Open your eyes," he ordered.

I shut them even more tightly. He slapped me for the second time, and both the pain and the surprise made me open my eyes, bringing me back to reality. This _was_ real, this _was_ happening.

"Good," Vegeta said with a grin, "You keep them like that."

He forced me to meet with his gaze, with his dark, cruel eyes. Mine flashed with unbearable pain when he pushed into me for the first time. It hurt so, so bad that it clouded my mind and I wondered if I would either pass out of die. My mind was numb, but not numb enough to miss the satisfied look on his face: he knew he was making me suffer, and he enjoyed it. His thrusts were deep and rough, causing more and more pain every time. I wanted to fight back, so that I could at least say I had _tried_ to get away from him, that I hadn't allowed him to rape me so easily, but I couldn't anymore: it felt like my muscles had been turned into iron, like my whole body was slowly sinking into invisible quicksands.

He was using me for his own pleasure and there was nothing I could do about it. I had never, ever felt so powerless. He breathed heavily against my skin and groaned with pleasure in my ear, and I prayed again.

I prayed that it wouldn't last long. That it would be just some sort of quick release and that he would leave me alone in two minutes. It was just about him, right? So there was no point in taking his time, was it?

Once again, whoever was supposed to be listening to Earthlings' prayers clearly was doing an awful job, because it lasted for so terribly long. Whenever I thought he was nearly done, he slowed down for a while. I don't know how long it took him to finally let go and get this over with, but I know it felt like hours, days, weeks, months have passed. He laid next to me, his breath heavy and satisfied, and I curled myself and turned my back on him, hiding my body as much as I could with my arms.

My whole body was shaking, both because of my silent sobbing and because of the utter shock.

I used to be a proud person. I think one could say that I used to think quite highly of myself. Brain and look, I had them both.

Not now.

I felt disgusted at myself and ashamed, I felt weak and used. I was nothing but a very realistic blow-up doll for him, that he could fuck anytime now. Nothing but a useless being that wouldn't have any choice but to obey and lay down. I felt pathetic.

I didn't even feel like a real person anymore.

**End of the chapter:** Gee. This is definitely not easy to write, I'll tell you! Hope you liked this chapter anyway, I tried to stick to Bulma's character as much as I could.


	3. I'd rather die

**Reader:** Thank you so much ^^ I also hate it when the raped person ends up either liking it or falling in love with the person raping her, I mean really dude/girl, do you know what rape is about? It's not about forcing someone to feel pleasure, it's about taking someone's body against his or her will, damn. I am very shocked every time I see something like this, and I can't imagine how a person who went through this would feel reading it. I mean, if you're gonna make Vegeta (or anyone) a twisted bastard then don't put pink glasses to Bulma (or anyone) so that it will be love at first sight XD No, no, as I said, Bulma and Vegeta will be together, but not the way people might think. As for the comment on Prayers into the Infinity, I'll take it as a compliment because I absolutely LOVE this OS, it's brilliant!

**Chapter 3: I'd rather die**

Needless to say, I did not sleep that night. I stayed in his bed, he ordered me so, although he seemed to believe that he had allowed me so, like this was some kind of privilege that I should be happy about. I was not. In fact, I'd rather sleep on the floor if that meant I was to sleep away from that monster. My eyes refused to close and I stared blankly at the ceiling, the walls, the furniture around me, the floor. My reflection in the huge mirror. Then... _him_.

Vegeta was sleeping, laying on his back, his head slightly turned towards me. His breath was slow and even, very calm and peaceful. I couldn't bring myself to understand why, _how_ he could sleep so well after what he had just done to me. Maybe I wasn't the nicest person Earth had known, but I surely did not deserve this, and yet he was right next so me, deeply asleep, like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't taken an innocent life and smashed it on the floor, crushed it between his fingers.

_Totally vulnerable_.

This thought hit me with the strength of a car at full speed, and I sat up in the bed. Surely I wasn't strong enough to harm in when he was awake, and clearly my punches and slaps did not hurt him, but his skin was probably as fragile as mine or anyone's. I had, after all, been able to bite him hard enough to make him bleed earlier. If I could lay my fingers on something sharp enough to cut his skin, then I could slit his throat while he slept.

The idea was appealing to me. I had never been a fighter, I had never been a violent person either, but right now, nothing pleased me more than the thought of doing this. Finding something that was good enough to act like a knife, and rip Vegeta's throat opened: blood would flow, surely he would wake up, attempt to kill me or shout for help, or both, but I knew anatomy, I knew medecine. I could cut him where it would be impossible to save him, where he would open his eyes only to close them shortly after, and forever. The mighty warrior king would be murdered in his bed, by a mere woman, the very same woman he had just raped and reduced to nothing but a body to fuck.

It sounded good and thrilling.

I slowly, carefully got on my feet, and made my way towards the desk. The bedroom was dark and I could barely see the objects laying on the wooden surface, and I wasn't familiar with most of these things so I tried to figure out what was there by touching them: I did my best to do so in silence. My fingers finally found something that could probably pierce his skin: it was not a knife nor a dagger, but it would do the trick. I took it firmly in my hand, whatever it was, and crawled back on the bed, as silently as I could. I'd go for the jugular - litterally.

I gasped in surprise when my wrist was caught in the middle of its motion towards Vegeta's throat. Vegeta's dark eyes shot opened, and he glared at me very menancingly. No! This wasn't fair, this wasn't _fair!_ I was so _close_ to make it, how did he manage to know what I was doing?

"Well, well," he said, pinning me back on the bed, pressing his muscled and naked body against mine.

Grinning cunningly, he twisted my wrist until I cried out in pain and dropped whatever object I had seized on his desk a few moments ago. Tears came up my eyes, both in frustration and pain, but I didn't allow them to run down my cheeks. He loved them, I had understood that earlier, Vegeta had enjoyed my pain, and I wasn't so keen on giving him the pleasure to see me suffer.

"Think you can kill me like this, in my sleep?"

I did not speak, and he caught my chin very firmly, too firmly for me to not grimace in pain.

"You think that you can catch me off guard, you meaningless slut?" the king growled.

But then, he smirked as he kept looking at me.

"I'm curious, what did you plan on doing after killing me? Taking the whole Saiyan race on your own?"

_Plan?  
_  
I hadn't planned anything. I had been driven only by vengeance and hatred, I had actually been blinded by them. He had humiliated me, dishonoured me in the worst way, and I wanted to make him pay. What would I have done after killing the king? The hell if I knew. For the first time in my life, I hadn't thought about what I was doing. Surely the guards would've killed me for murdering their monarch, but so what?

"I didn't care," I spat at him, "Just helping the Universe by getting rid of you was enough for me, even though I might have died after."

Vegeta chuckled.

"So you didn't have a plan. I must say, this is the worst murder attempt that I've seen in this room, and I've seen quite a lot."  
"Well then why don't you take a hint?" I hissed at him. "Nobody wants to be with you in that room unless it involves you struggling to save your damn life. Oh, yes, I would've _loved _to see you trying to stop the blood running from your opened throat-"

I gasped and winced in pain when I felt his fingers around my neck, squeezing it and almost choking me, but then I looked at him right into the eyes.

"Do it," I said bitterly with the last tiny bits of air remaining into my poor lungs. "Better that than be forced to do anything with you ever again."  
"Really?" he hissed, his grip on my neck getting firmer.

I did not falter, because I was speaking the truth. I had prayed in the ship for them to kill me instead of raping me, well I still thought that death was way, _way_ better than a life as Vegeta's personal whore.

To my surprise, he laughed darkly, and let go of my throat.

"That would please you way too much," he said with a smirk, laying on his back again.

_You bet it would_.

I was about to lay on the bed myself, feeling defeated, when he caught my arms and forced me on him, pushing me down towards his hips. My whole body froze and it resisted the pression, and he raised his head a little so that he could stare at me.

"You bite me," he warned me, "And I swear you'll be praying for death even more."

I closed my eyes, but even like that, I couldn't bring myself to do it. My neck was blocked, like my spine had just turned into stone, and I truly felt like I was about to vomit, because the simple thought of doing _this_ to _him_ revulsed me far more than I could ever tell with words. He forced himself between my unwanting lips, pushing my head down with his hands so that I would have no choice but to allow him into my mouth. I kept my eyes closed very tight, but this couldn't take away the noises that I heard as he forced me to please him.

It was disgusting, surely the most disgusting thing I had ever done. Somewhere in the corner of my mind, I managed to wonder why people did this, in a normal relationship. It was degrading and humiliating, putting you at the man's mercy, making you nothing but and object dedicaced to his pleasure, and only his. I didn't quite get why a woman in her right mind would be willing to do that with anyone.

Who would purposely endure that?

He pushed me lower, and thrusted deeper with his hips: I gasped and almost choked myself because of the sudden move, and because of the disgusting matter that had just filled my mouth. It was both bitter and salty - in one word, foul. I wanted to pull back, and I tried to do so, but he was still holding my head, and he kept holding it right where it was, until I was forced to swallow the worst thing I had ever tasted. Smirking with satisfaction, he allowed me to move back, at long last.

"Good," he said. "I accept your apologies."

My eyes narrowed with anger and I snapped:

"You can't accept something that you took by force."

And then I laid back on the bed, as far from him as I possibly could, covering my body with the silky sheets. I closed my eyes this time, and prayed once again for death to take me away from this hell.

**End of the chapter: **I know. I know. You wonder how the heck they are going to get together, well I won't tell of course, so keep wondering for now ^^ but I just wanna reassure you that it will NOT be one of these "Omg I fell in love with the man who raped me numerous times, and so did he for that matter, I AM NOW THE QUEEN OF ALL SAIYANS!" story :P


	4. The golden cage

_Yeahh there she is back with her music!: If you like music while reading, go listen to Final Fantasy X's song "A fleeting dream", I wrote this with that music playing and oh God it fits sooo well! That music is a masterpiece anyway._

**Chapter 4: The golden cage**

I didn't know how long it had been. At first I had been able to count the days, but not anymore. There were too many days, and they were too similar. I got confused whenever I tried to find out how long I had been in this situation, being Vegeta's goddamn puppet. I spent my whole time in his private appartments, and this was driving me absolutely _mad_. I think, from what Vegeta said about me being "lucky", that most of the others, those who did not "belong" to anyone, those who hadn't been "chosen" by a particular Elite warrior, were together in a specific area of the castle, where they were at the disposition of any warrior.

To be perfectly honest, I'd rather be there. I'd rather be around people, even people as miserable as I was, than being stuck in Vegeta's bedroom all the time, seeing no one else than him when he got back at the end of the day. Being _probably_ raped every day was slightly better than being _surely_ raped every day, and I was quite certain none of them could be more cruel to me than Vegeta was.

I think I was really losing my mind to be having such thoughts.

Perhaps the women that didn't belong to any of these assholes would think differently. Perhaps they would think that being raped by only one monster was slightly better than being raped by a different one every time, perhaps they would even envy me for being "safely" locked into the king's bedroom everytime.

It was beautiful, all right, surely more beautiful than the place they were in, but it did not matter at all. It was still a prison: no matter how elegant it was, it was the same thing to me. Try and put an animal into a golden cage: it won't feel any less trapped and caged than the one put in a cheaper, uglier cage.

There was nothing to distract me in Vegeta's room, nothing besides the window and its balcony. So, every day, I would open the window and stand on the balcony, looking at the landscape for long, long hours. It got boring after only a few moments - nothing was happening, at least nothing that I could see from up there - but it was better than sitting on the edge of the bed, thinking about how miserable I was. However, I always made a point in being in the room whenever someone, especially Vegeta, entered. I was quite sure he had only forgotten that I could go out like this, and that he would make sure it never happened again if he ever caught me.

It must not happen. If it did happen, then I knew I would go crazy. The balcony was the only thing that kept me slightly sane, for sometimes, when I stood there, a soft wind caressed my face and embraced my body, and it was enough for me to feel free, at least for a short moment. It was my illusion of freedom, I needed it. And...

It was also my hope. My potential salvation.

Sometimes, after a long contemplation, I would stare down at the ground below me. So, so far away. The fall would kill me for sure. One day, I would jump off the balcony. For split seconds, I would have the illusion to be flying, like a bird, and then it would all be over. No more tears, no more golden jail, no more Saiyan king groaning in pleasure as he nearly tortured me.

I didn't know why I was still standing there, I didn't know why I hadn't jumped off that balcony yet.

No. I_ knew_.

I didn't mind if they killed me. I pissed Vegeta off as much as I could. I had come to understand that he absolutely loved when I struggled, fought back, cried and begged, so I kept it all inside. I didn't do any of this anymore, I just laid motionless and silent, with my face as neutral as possible and let him do whatever he wished of my body. I made a point in being as boring as I could. Maybe he thought he had won, maybe he thought he had broken me and I had given up fighting.

Not even remotely.

My lack of apparent fighting was my new way to fight what he was doing to me every night, and it seemed damn more efficient than shouting and punching, because I _knew_ it hurt his oversized ego that his constant rapes didn't seem to affect me anymore.

One day, he would probably get so bored that he would kill me, and I didn't care, not at all. But if I jumped off the balcony, then I was giving up. I was losing the battle.

If he killed me, I'd win, because it would mean I made him lose control. I made him do what I wanted him to do.

But, still...

The far away ground looked particularly tempting some days. Some days when I wondered why I even bothered, why I didn't just surrender that fight that I was bound to lose.

I glanced up at myself in the mirror. I certainly had changed a lot since I got to this planet: I had never realized it before, because I had always refused to watch my reflection ever since I had spent my first night here. I never had those dark circles under my eyes before, and my body had never been so bruised either, but it was not that that shocked me.

My eyes.

They were my own, but even I could see how empty and off they were. I stared blankly at myself, as blankly as I stared at Vegeta every night now. No wonder I felt like I was on the verge of turning completely insane: my mind was about to surrender, my brain was about to shut down. Just because I acted like I didn't mind Vegeta's assaults didn't mean it wasn't killing me anymore. Given a few more weeks or a few more months, and I would be nothing but an empty shell, and then I would truly be at Vegeta's mercy. I shuddered at the thought, and my eyes wandered off towards the window.

Why not end this now?

My feet slowly walked towards the balcony, and my hands opened the huge window.

Why not put myself out of my misery? I was nothing but the shadow of myself, I had nothing to live for. I used to be happy, to have a wonderful life. It had been taken away from me and I knew I would never get it back, no matter what I did.

I walked on the balcony.

_It's all right, Vegeta. You won._

"Congratulations," I whispered, barely able to hear myself over the wind.

I closed my eyes. They say people who commit suicide go straight to Hell. Well, let me tell you, if Hell _did_ exist, and if I _did_ get sent there for ending my own life by jumping off that damn balcony, so be it. Hell was bound to be a better place to be than Vegeta's bedroom anyway.

"Don't," a masculine voice whispered to my ear.

Great, now I was hearing voices. For God's sake, I was really getting insane.

I put one feet to the barrier.

"Don't," the voice repeated, more firmly this time.

So firmly, actually, that I opened my eyes, fearing for a split second that it was Vegeta. I was taken aback by the young man that stood next to me. Lightly purple hair, sticking blue eyes, kind-looking: he didn't look at all like a Saiyan, and he didn't even wear their clothes.

"Who the hell are you?" I said defensively.

Just because he didn't look like a Saiyan didn't mean I could trust him.

"Here," he started, "I am nothing. Nothing but a dream that barely had the time to be formed before it was forced faded away, nothing but a thought that will never, ever brush your mind now that these terrible things happened."

I frowned. This did not make any sense to me.

"My name is Trunks."

That made me frown even more: Trunks, like, like-

"You named me after grandpa," he continued. "I'm your son."

I started to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Now I was having hallucinations? That was it, I was completely losing my mind.

"You can't be my son, you're about as old as I am!"  
"I travelled through time."  
"Such thing is not possible," I snorted in disbelief.  
"It is. You made it possible. The first time I came back into time, I wanted to change the past so that I could change my own world, destroyed by the androids. It does not work that way. I saved one timeline, but that did not alter my own."  
"Sure," I sighed, walking towards the edge of the balcony once again.

Time to get this over with. If I was starting to imagine things, such as a son travelling through time, then it was about damn time I put myself out of my misery.

"Don't," he repeated for the third time, seizing me firmly but gently in his arms.

I frowned. Could someone touch a hallucination, could someone's mind be playing so much tricks on them that they actually imagine someone holding them? I had no idea, I was no psychologist.

Illusion or not, I didn't want him to touch me. I was tired of being touched without my consent.

"Lemme go!" I growled, struggling to get away from him, but I found him to be very strong. "Jesus Christ, what is _your_ problem, let go of me now, you hear me?"  
"No, you've got to listen to me-"  
"Listen to you?" I spat, still trying to break free so that I could finally jump. "Why would I? Came to save me, maybe?"  
"No."

For some reason, that stopped me.

"I can't save you. You must save yourself."

I grunted.

"Great," I replied bitterly. "Truly wonderful, thanks a lot for that. Picked that sentence from the first crappy movie you could remember, or what?"  
"Look, I want you to know..."

He forced me to turn around so that I would look at him right into the eyes. They were so much like mine that I was starting to believe him, I was starting to believe that he was really my son.

"There _is_ hope. There is one place where we're happy, a place where _you're_ happy. A place where you share your life with your soul mate. Find that place, get there, and be happy."

He let go of me, and walked back.

"How do I get there?" I asked. "How do I get to that place, I can't even go out this room!"  
"You'll find a way. I know you will."  
"You don't know me."  
"I do," he replied immediately.

I shook my head.

"How?" I insisted.

He smiled faintly, lifted up his hand near his pretty face, and slowly moved his pinkie.

"Just make a wish," he said before flying away.

**End of the chapter: **Yes. It is perfectly normal if you feel a bit confused :D I hope you'll still like it, don't worry it isn't out of the blue and it will be explained further.


	5. Hope or insanity?

**Chapter 5: Hope or insanity?**

I got back into Vegeta's room and sat on the edge of the oversized bed, lost in my thoughts. I didn't know what to do, what to believe. Were that young man's words true, was _he_ real to begin with? Had I truly seen the one that was meant to be my son, had he really been the one to prevent me from ending my own life, or was I just losing my mind? Perhaps I had just been too scared to jump at the last moment, and my brain had invented that Trunks so that I would justify myself and get back into the bedroom.

I didn't know what to think. He looked like me a little, he had my eyes, and he was wearing clothes with the Capsule Corporation's logo on it. And, if I had a son, I would definitely name him Trunks after my father. But, then again, if _I_ was the one imagining all this, then my hallucination would look plausible, wouldn't it? The only thing that semi-convinced me was the moment he had held me. His arms, they had felt so solid and real around me... could an illusion be that realistic? I didn't know, but I didn't think so.

However, we're never the good person to judge our own mental sanity, are we? Nobody will go like "Yeah, sure, I'm a psychopath - always been, will always be".

I sighed heavily and laid down on the bed, closing my eyes.

The most painful thing with the option of believing that it _had_ happened was that it meant I had to believe his words too. I had to believe that there was a place, a time where I was happy and safe, with my soul mate and our son. At this thought, a tear rolled down my cheek and I didn't bother wiping it away. A man that would respect me and make love to me, and a child to take care of and to be proud of. My dream, my little girl's dream. It somehow gave me hope.

Hope was dangerous. It was fragile and doubt could easily make it crumble: if it wasn't true and I was having false expectations, I knew I wouldn't be able to face my reality anymore. If I found out that there was actually no such place, or that I could never, ever reach it, I knew it would drive me mad.

It hurt terribly to know or at least believe that such a place existed: it made my own existence even more pitiful if I accepted that there was a way it could be so much better, but that it was way, _way_ out of reach. How the hell could I get there if I couldn't even go out that goddamn room? It was easy for him to say that I would find a way, he wasn't the one locked inside Vegeta's apartments night and day! And even if I managed to unlock the door somehow, there were two guards in right in front of the door, and they would put be back inside by force, and they would surely tell Vegeta, and he'd be even more of a sadistic that night. That would bring me nothing but more hidden, kept-inside tears. And even if I tricked those two somehow, the castle was full of warriors, and each and every one of them knew I had no right to be outside the royal apartments. I was screwed.

No. It wasn't the right way to take it.

I got on my feet at once as electricity ran down my spine and adrenaline flowed through my veins, like when you're facing a terribly complicated puzzle and you just found out the way to solve it.

_If the company's bigger than yours, and you can't just walk on it, then just outsmart it. If you can't outsmart it, then, my girl... manipulate, promise, smile, pretend to be harmless, and when their backs are turned, crucify them all on your front door so everyone can see it_.

This had been my father's first business advice, and I had never realised how valuable it was, and how much I could use it right now. You always have a weapon, you just need to find it and use it well: that was my father's message. I couldn't walk on the Saiyans, but I was the king's personnal sexual toy, for all it was worth. It was disgusting, but... I shared the bed of the one who decided everything on this fucking planet. I had never seen before today that this could be used to my advantage someday. He still enjoyed to rape me every night even though I made everything to be boring, he had _chosen_ me. He _wanted_ me, so if I was good enough to him, then I _might_ earn some privileges.

The more freedom I would get, the further I would be from sinking into craziness, and the closer I would be from finding a true way out, if there was one. Buying time. Buying permissions, find my freedom, and embrace it.

There was only one flaw in that plan: it _still_ involved sex with Vegeta, and, even worse...

It meant I would have to pretend that I was enjoying it. I would have to pretend I wanted him to fuck me, I would have to act nice and sweet like an obedient lap dog. It seemed impossible. He hurt me and humiliated me every night, so much I barely wanted to look at myself in the mirror now, so much that I had been _this close _to jumping off the balcony earlier. I had stopped to cry and shout on the outside, but my heart and soul did both, every night. I cried and shouted every time Vegeta took my body, just like I did the night he stole my virginity: I just made sure there were no ears to hear me, no eyes to see me.

But if all this was true... then it would be worth it. Somehow, it would be worth it.

The door swung opened, and I got on my feet as Vegeta entered the room, taking off his white gloves. I swallowed my torn pride, my broken honour, and walked towards him, shyly.

"Here," I said, managing somehow to keep my hatred away from my voice. "I'll-"

Speaking no more, I took off his armoured white chest for him. I felt his intense gaze on me, observing me, studying me with the utmost attention. I did my best to keep a soft, humble face. I knew he wondered where that sweetness came from, as I normally told him to go fuck himself, or any similar answer, whenever he asked my help for that.

"All right," he said, "What's with the sweet bitch act now?"  
"N-nothing," I managed to reply, "No act, no act at all, I swear. I just, I understood that... there's no fighting back."

Still very gently, acting as submissive as I could given that it was absolutely not in my nature, I started to take off his blue suit.

"It'll just make me drive myself into madness. So I won't fight anymore."

I brought my face closer - he was slightly shorter than me - and, despite the revulsion, despite my urge to either vomit or run away, I kissed his lips.

At first he remained still, perfectly still, so I reluctantly pressed my body against his. I knew this wouldn't take long: Vegeta wanted me, so much that he took me by force every night so he was clearly not about to refuse me now.

I was right.

It didn't take long for Vegeta to regain his composture and usual behaviour: I was quickly stripped off my clothes and pushed on the bed, as roughly as always. He was still the same, merciless and cruel, he still forced his way between my legs violently. Vegeta was the same, but _I _had to be different. I couldn't scream in pain and punch him, neither could I just lay perfectly still and clearly wait for it to be over. I had to pretend, and I could only pray that Vegeta would fall for it.

I started with one short, brief moan. Then another one, a bit longer, a bit higher: I even pushed my hips to meet with his brutal thrusts and I could see him watching me carefully, clearly wondering if he wasn't imagining things. I made my breath heavier, dug my fingers into his hair as I moaned more and more, higher and higher, pressing my body against his like I couldn't get enough of him.

And then when I thought the timing was right, when I really couldn't wait to see it end, I went for it. I dug my nails deeply into his skin, pushed my hips hungrily towards his, threw my head back and cried out.

It worked: he sank his teeth into my shoulder, thrusted one or two more times, and then it was over. He left me alone to take his shower, and I sat up, wrapping my arms around myself and slowly breathing in so that maybe, I would stop shaking so much.

Ever since I had gotten on this planet, I had never been so close to actually throw up. I thought I would feel slightly better knowing that I had a reason to be doing this, or at least because I hoped I had one, but I was wrong. I felt like I had stepped even lower than he had put me. I had gone from the unwanting slave to the willing whore, just because some guy that might not actually exist had told me that there was hope. I took one deep breath that made me shudder from head to toe.

Was he real? Was I right to hope for a better place, or was I just completely insane?

I shook my head, trying to shake off my doubts with it. I had started the first step to my plan, now wasn't the time to back down, was it?

**End of the chapter:** There youu goo Geez I'm on FIREEE :P


	6. My leash

**Chapter 6: My leash**

I didn't ask for anything after that night, for I knew that Vegeta would find it rather suspicious if I asked for any favour or privilege right after I started acting nice. I thanked God that he had fallen for it, completely fallen for it. Perhaps he was blinded by his ego, perhaps he was so proud to have managed to tame the worst, toughest bitch of the entire lot that he couldn't think of any other explanation than him being just so great I had surrendered my fight.

I told him the first night he needed to get over himself, didn't I?

I kept doing this, every night, every morning, every minute, I put on my submissive and soft mask, and it fooled him every damn time. I hated the person I was these moments, I hated the woman that offered her help to that monster, I wanted to put out of her misery the woman who kindly massaged his back, and I felt nothing but disdain and disgust towards the woman who willingly opened her legs for such a filthy bastard. But I had no other option, or at least no other option that I could think of.

I've never been weak inside, and I hated myself for abasing myself and playing the weak one like that. Before, I had pride and dignity. I had lost it long ago, but it still pissed me off that Vegeta thought he had one the battle. He thought he had broken me and modeled me into his perfect little toy, and it made me sick.

One morning, I think it was a few weeks after I had changed - probably around one month after - Vegeta stopped in front of the door before leaving, and he turned to me. He observed me: I glanced back at him, and, oh damn I would've kicked my own ass if I could have, but I smiled to him. I forced my lips to curve, and I think he believed I was honestly smiling to him.

"From now on, I'll leave the door unlocked so that you may go outside my apartments," he said, "But you are to be back in here before the sun sets, and if I ever learned you put a single toe outside the palace, _woman,_ I swear you will pray whatever God your planet had that you were never born."

Oh, no Vegeta. I won't pray ever again. I tried and it never worked.

Without saying anything more, he left. Behind the closed door, I could hear him telling the guards that I had permission to leave his bedroom. I fell to my knees and, before I could stop them, tears ran down my cheeks yet again, but tears of joy. For all it was worth, I had finally been given the permission to leave this godforsaken room. If anything, if it lead me to nowhere else, I think it would already be worth the effort.

I ran to the wardrobe: they knew nothing of Earthlings clothes, and Vegeta had torn the ones I was wearing the day I was forced to leave the Earth, but they had somehow copied what I had been wearing that day so I wouldn't be naked all day long.

And so Vegeta could have the pleasure to tear my clothes apart again and again, I guess. I quickly put some clothes on, and left the bedroom. To go where? I didn't care.

Anywhere.

I took one deep breath, alone in an empty corridor, and I smiled. For the first time since the minute a Saiyan broke down my door and captured me, my lips smiled and my heart meant it.

I had been given the right to go out my golden prison. I was still wearing a tight leash, but a leash was a huge improvement compared to being caged.

My heart skipped a beat and I nearly had a heart attack when I walked before an opened door. A library! A goddamn _library!_ I never expected the Saiyans to have a library in the palace. I mean... of course, I knew they were literate, I had seen Vegeta writing letters and official announcements and things like that, but I had never expected that they would care enough about knowledge to have a library. But it was there, opened for me, whispering me to walk in in such a tempting manner.

Those books. They wanted me to grab them, they wanted my fingers on their pages, my eyes on their precious words.

I almost ran into the place, almost jumped on the nearest book I could reach.

"Thank you, _Jesus_," I whispered as I ran my fingers on the cover.

I opened it and I started to read, not caring about what it was about. No matter what I was reading about, it felt so good to be doing something else than look at a boing landscape and thinking about ending my shitty existence, something else than pretending I had decided to truly be Vegeta's good little bed slave. It was about some far away planet I had never heard about, but fuck this, I was _reading_, there was actually something else in my brain than dark thoughts.

It wasn't before I had finished that first book that I was brought back to reality.

I hadn't bowed my head so that I could be spending free time at the royal library, I had done it so that I could save myself, if that was truly possible.

"So where to start..." I murmured for myself, looking at all those books begging to be opened and read.

I didn't know. Trunks - from now on I would assume that what I had seen on the balcony was real, or else I wouldn't be able to keep pretending - had given me so little clues, I didn't know where to start. He had mentionned my soul mate, me being happy with him and our son, he had also said that he would never exist here. I would never had this child, because I had been made a slave. The Saiyans and their bastard of a king had twisted my fate and taken me away from the man who was supposed to love me forever. Trunks had mentionned his timeline, then another one where I was happy.

I smiled, and this time again, for real.

I knew where to start.

I jumped and gasped in fear when I felt an heavy hand on my shoulder. I turned and met with Nappa's face.

"What are you doing all the way here, outside the king's bedroom?" he asked, his eyes glaring at me.  
"He allowed me to go out, and if you've got any problem with this then go discuss that matter with him."

I tried to walk away, but he kept holding me with his huge hand, and touched my cheek with his other one. I flinched and grimaced under the touch.

"And why are you in the library?"

I rolled my eyes.

"To read. Though I don't expect you to know what I'm talking about."

Nappa slapped me in the face, but I barely reacted: I had been Vegeta's slave for _months_ now. He had done much more than that to me, he had given me hell since the first night I had been forced to spend in his company. It took far more than a slap from his royal guard to make me complain now.

"I've always found you very beautiful."

Uh-oh. He took one step forward, and I quickly moved back.

"And I've always found you very, very stupid," I replied.

In one split second, before I could even see him moving, Nappa had my body pressed against the wall, trapped between the hard surface and his own body. I struggled and tried to push him away: wasn't Vegeta _enough?_ Did I really have to endure his warriors ontop of it? If he wanted anything from me, there was very little I could do against him, except, _except...  
_  
"Get away from me," I hissed, "Because I doubt your _king_ will appreciate if you put your filthy hands on me."  
"What the king does not know," Nappa chuckled, "Can't harm him. Or can't harm _me_-"  
"_Nappa!_"

The rough, cold voice snapped into the air like a whip, and for the first - and probably last - time of my life, I was glad to hear it.

"Away from her," Vegeta growled, seizing his guard by the back on his armour.

Despite the huge difference in seize, Vegeta forced Nappa to release me with ease. On a planet where strength and might meant everything, it was not a surprise that the king would be the strongest of all.

"How many times do we have to go through this? You have your own, and so many are at the disposition of everyone."

He glared at him very coldly.

"If I catch you near my belongings again, I swear I'll cut your tail off."  
"My apologies, your Majesty," Nappa whispered in respect before bowing, and leaving the library.

Without a word, Vegeta followed. Ever since he had stepped inside the room, not once had he looked at me, or even just barely glanced at me. He didn't care that someone had almost raped me, he did not care at all: all he cared about was the fact that Nappa had tried to take some_thing_ that belonged to him. Like a selfish child, he didn't want anyone to lay a single finger on his toys, not because he _cared_ about these toys, but because they were _his_. He'd forced Nappa away from me for the same reason that a dog will bark at you and bite you if you try to take away the bone he's chewing on.

And, though I had tried to use it, though I had played the Don't-touch-me-because-I-belong-to-your-king card... it disgusted me that it was so very true. So very and sadly true. For everyone here, I belonged to Vegeta. Though I acted all sweet and sugar with him, I was still nothing more than a piece of meat.

But, if my son was right... perhaps there was a way out of this.

**End of the chapter:** Theeere you go people! Took a liiiittle longer but I hope you'll like it ^^


	7. Make a wish

_Oh GEE I forgot the unsigned reviews last chapter! Here goes, for both chapters and with my apologies if I forgot you earlier:_

**Rubine:** Thanks a lot! The story won't be a super-long one, though, but I hope you'll still like it ;)

**jezz: **Thanks ^^

**Skibbl:** Nah, nah, don't say that, you KNOW you just love cliffies! :D Readers just won't admit it (here is a delusional author, thinking that readers love to be tortured).

**newsoleil:** Unexpected? I'm guessing you meant Unhealthy ^^ No, I'm not gonna write Vegeta's point of view, except if I feel the sudden need of a fully Vegeta chapter, but honestly, I don't think so. I purposely chose the narration in first person (as opposed to the third person "God" narrator that I usually use, allowing me to show everybody's thoughts and feelings) so that I would be allowed to dig deeper into Bulma's feelings and struggle with Vegeta. Vegeta too is a well-known character (appeared only in DBZ and the screwed up GT, but he's a main character and very popular) so I don't think Bulma's popularity is the factor for most first person V/B being from her POV. I can't speak for the others but personally, even being a woman I can write a man or boy's POV, I did it before (though not with Vegeta), it's just that writing from his POV in a story like this one seems kinda twisted for me. I mean, he's a complete asshole in here, I'd feel like writing from a huge dictator's POV or something.

**BR:** Thanks :D

_Oh and I'm gonna be off for about one week, one week and a half (moving out, then vacantion), so the next chapter will come a bit later than usual. Sorry!  
_  
**Chapter 7: Make a wish**

Wishes. Wishes. _Wishes._

That was all I was reading about in the library, and I spent my whole days in there. From the second Vegeta set a foot outside the bedroom to the moment the sun started to go down, I was reading non-stop. I went through way too many books to count, but I didn't mind that much. It felt so good to be able to read again, to be allowed to do something else with my brain than think about jumping off a godforsaken balcony. It was like being held underwater for so many minutes you thought you would die, then being pulled out and allowed to breathe at the very last moment before you passed out.

I didn't quite know what I was looking for, that was why I had to go through so many books. The library had a surprisingly huge amount of books on that single topic. And, of course, I couldn't ask for anyone's help, or else it would look very suspicious. But the wishes were the only thing I could use for a starter, the only clue Trunks had given me, so I had to hold on to it. It was a small, thin bone, but I'd chew on it until I was satisfied.

Sitting at my table in the back of the large room, surrounded by books, I spent my whole days without being spoken to or even approached by anyone. Ever since Nappa had been put back to his place by Vegeta the first time I came here, nobody ever bothered me for being outside his apartments, nobody ever talked to me, and nobody ever tried to touch me. Probably the word had gotten around that it was best not to put your dirty fingers on the king's personal toy. The old me would've been pissed off by the idea that the one who had put me in such a low position was acting as my shield: the new me, however, didn't care as long as it meant I was able to do whatever I wanted without those stupid assholes putting their noses in it, or their hands on my body.

It's amazing how we can become harder. I felt that. I felt that I had become harder since I had been taken to planet Vegeta - yes, Vegeta was named after his own _planet_, talk about ego. I really felt it. I was harder and more bitter. The more time went by, the less I cared. Oh, sure I hated the bastard with every fiber of my torn body, sure I still caressed the idea of slitting his throat in his sleep; sure, I couldn't wait to find a meaning to my son's words and save myself, preferably after making Vegeta pay a thousand times for what he had done to me.

See? Hard and bitter. I wouldn't have had such thoughts before, I wasn't like that. But now I was.

Of course I wanted these things, but I didn't feel like crying anymore. I hated him and he revulsed me, but I didn't feel my heart being squeezed and crushed and smashed like I used to. My body felt numb when I forced myself to press it against his, my fake moans echoed in my head as though they belonged to someone else. I was either starting to lose my sanity, or actually getting used to this. The last option was scarier than the first one.

Becoming insane in such situation is normal, almost expected, especially for someone like me who had a nice and easy life before this Hell.

Getting used to such treatment... is not normal. Nobody should ever consider himself or herself like used to it, because if you're used to it, if you truly start to cope with being raped and humiliated by a monster every night, that's because you think you deserve such situation. And if you think you deserve it...

Then you stop fighting, you really do stop fighting. And you lose.

I shook my head. I wouldn't lose, not to Vegeta. Not to his people. Not to _anyone_.

Vegeta hadn't changed though. Well, I don't know why I even _bother_ mentioning it. It's not like I expected him to be any less of a son of a bitch after changing my own behaviour. He was surely born a sick bastard, and he would die a sick bastard, end of the story.

He really had a thing about violence. I guess that is to be expected of warriors. I don't know. It's not like I have anyone I can compare Vegeta to, right? He enjoyed other people's pain - or at least, he enjoyed mine, I knew it. I had noticed it the first night, but even after I had started to pretend I wanted it, he still made everything in his power to either make me wince in pain or to see into my eyes that I was suffering, or both. Even now, when I acted like I was willingly giving myself to him, he still insisted to take my body by force. On Earth, he would've needed a therapy - though he would probably have killed the poor psychologist.

On planet Vegeta, he was the king. If you ask me, that show how fucked up their society was. A bunch of crazy bastards leaded by the crasiest of all.

That's one Hell of a difference, if you ask me. Not that Earth never had crazy kings, but we got rid of them. For that, I'd say we're smarter than Saiyans. Smarter, but weaker.

My only problem was that Vegeta was very clever, too. He had intelligence and strength, and I had nothing but intelligence. Outsmarting Vegeta would be hard. I could probably make it, but...

I still had to figure out how.

I looked down at the book I was holding: it contained a list and description of legendary artifacts related to wishes. I sighed. Legends, legends. Legends were not going to get me out of Vegeta's bed, but I opened it anyway and started to read. Most of it was useless, and I was about to give up on that book, but then...

_It is said that the Namekians once forged seven magic items called Dragon Balls: once gathered together, the seven Dragon Balls shall summon a creature with the incredible power to grant three wishes to the summoner, however impossible these wishes may seem, such as eternal youth._

My heart skipped a few beats, then started to pound so hard in my chest I could barely think straight.

Of _course._

_Bulma Briefs, you're an idiot._

How did I even manage to forget about this? I should've understood right away when Trunks had mentioned the wish. There was a legend about those balls on Earth, too. And Trunks, my son, was from the Earth, surely he knew about the Dragon Balls. Perhaps I was just getting insane, but it all made so much sense to me. Was that what he had suggested me to do? Gather them, and wish myself away from Vegeta? Surely that would work.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I mustn't get too hasty: this was, after all, a book about legends. What if the Dragon Balls weren't real, what if the Namekians - Hell if I knew who they were anyway - never crafted such artifacts? I had to dig deeper, much deeper.

Fortunately, digging into books had become my favourite hobby.

It took me a few weeks to make sure that those Dragon Balls were real. When enough sources confirmed that they did exist and that they had even been used in the past, I stopped researching. I had the informations I needed, now I needed a way to get to the Dragon Balls.

For whole, long days I either wandered around in the castle, or stood on the balcony, thinking about how I could reach them. I had to reach Namek, and for that, I needed a spaceship. The Saiyans had plenty of them, of course, and surely I would be able to figure out how they worked, but I was sure I wouldn't be able to make it to Namek before being spotted by the Saiyans. If I stole a ship and ran away, Vegeta was bound to have me hunted down. Hell, I wasn't even sure I could actually make it to a ship without getting caught: I was forbidden to leave the castle, after all. It was way too risky. I knew from my first night on this planet that reckless actions, such as attempting to murder him in his sleep and surely steal a space ship didn't work against Vegeta.

But_ what_ would? I had managed to get out of his bedroom by playing nice and submissive, but I was pretty sure sex would never allow me on a ship on its way to Namek. It had been my only weapon until now, but it wouldn't work anymore.

One day that I was on the balcony, thinking about all this... I heard Vegeta's loud voice speaking to everyone in the castle, perhaps even everyone on the planet.

And I smiled, then laughed.

I finally had the solution.

I knew my way to the Dragon Balls.

**End of the chapter:** Uh, cliffy? DUNNO WHAT YOU MEAN! :D I hope you folks liked that new chapter :D I know it's a bit short but it's just me, you know? Short chapters, that's my style (except for chapters with lots of action that requires more length) ;)


	8. Around my lil' pinkie

_**Mea culpa (aka mini-rant): **Sorry folks for taking so long and being so damn late, really. But, with me moving to a new place, going in vacantion and losing my job somewhere in the middle (and for no apparent reason with that), well, I didn't have time and/or wasn't really in the mood to be writing something worth reading for you.  
_  
**Chapter 8: Around my lil' pinkie**

I was laughing so hard I could hardly listen to Vegeta's words. This was such a perfect timing that I barely believed it: the wind was changing, and for the first time, I could actually see myself away from Vegeta's claws, forever.

"Today is the day we have all been waiting for!"

I looked down the balcony and I saw lots of people, servants, warriors, dignitaries, and whatnot, gathered around a stage. Vegeta was giving his speech from that stage: I could feel his already immense ego increasing in size with every second passing by. The crowd cheered, shouted and clapped their hands together whenever he paused between sentences: I was surprised to see how much they seemed to love such a cruel and ruthless king. They were in utter admiration before him, drinking his every words.

Perhaps he had some sort of charisma that made them love him no matter what, but it surely did not work on me.

"The prophecies have come true," he continued. "And with me, the legendary Super Saiyan as your mighty king..."

There was a flash of pure, brilliant golden light, and he... he changed. His normally dark hair turned white blond, and I knew - because I had read about it in the library -, I knew his eyes had turned into a striking green, matched only by the most beautiful emerald. The golden light that had flashed so brightly remained around him, an aura made of gold that almost would've made him look like an angel, had he not been such a cruel being.

One by one, the Saiyans fell to their knees and bowed their heads, peasants and warriors alike, commoners and nobles alike. Even_ I_ was taken aback by the power I could feel emitting from his body. I felt like I was witnessing the apparition of a God that was not mine: it meant nothing to me, or at least it shouldn't, and yet I was impressed. He was not _my_ Messiah, and yet I understood how powerful and important he was.

The legendary Super Saiyan, the most important character in almost every Saiyan prophecy, the most powerful being in the entire Universe. One thousand years in the making, according to the books I had read.

"Our empire knows no limit!"

_No limits, uh?_

The crowd shouted and cheered for their king, and I kept laughing alone on my balcony. I had been thinking about a way to reach Namek and the Dragon Balls for days, only to have Vegeta serving me the answer on a silver platter.

He would take me to the Dragon Balls. I knew him now - or at least, I knew enough of him to be able to use him.

All I would need would be the right words, and the right timing.

I smirked. Nothing was easier than thinking of a good timing for this. Now, for the right words...

* * *

Vegeta rolled on his back right next to me, and I knew this very, very short moment of weakness was my cue to attack - not litterally, of course. I had given up attempting to murder him the first night I had been forced to sleep in that bed with him. If I didn't do anything, things would go on like usual: in about thirty seconds, Vegeta would leave his bed to go under the shower, but I wasn't about to allow that.

I got closer, pressing our bodies together as I stretched my neck a little to bring my lips close to his ear:

"I heard your speech earlier," I purred, digging my fingers into his black hair. "The Legendary Super Saiyan... even _I_ can tell how amazing this is."

His half-opened eyes shot what was meant to be a cold glare to me, but it didn't quite work like it used to do. He looked a little dizzy, just like I expected. Saiyans just love it when you compliment them and when you caress their hair like that, but when you do both, they are suddenly much less likely to threaten your life.

"The Hell do you know about our legends anyway?" he spat.

Well, they retain their bad temper anyway. Just a little more flattery should do.

"Only a little," I admitted, "Just what I happened to read in the library. But I know enough to know how much it means."

I forced my lips to smile. I already hated myself for what I was about to say, but I had no other options.

"It means you're the best," I whispered to his ear. "The best of your time, at least."

I got on my feet, walking towards the desk. I could feel Vegeta's piercing leer in my back and I knew, I_ knew_ I was not allowed to screw this up. If I sounded or looked suspicious enough for him not to believe me, if he saw the trap before walking into it, all I had done until now would've been in vain. Vegeta would strangle me with the leash I had had so much trouble obtaining. Perhaps he would kill me for my insolence, perhaps he would not, but one way or another, I could kiss my tiny freedom goodbye if he realised what I was up to.

I took the book about planet Namek, the one I had gathered information about the Dragon Balls from.

"I read a lot," I said carefully, "I've always read a lot. Science, history, I don't mind. I just pick up anything out of curiosity, and I read."

Vegeta's dark eyes slightly narrowed, and I feared an interruption, but he did not speak. I thought he might be opposed to the idea of me spending my days reading, but, after all, he had allowed me to do anything I wished, as soon as I stayed into the castle and went back to his apartments every evening. So he just kept staring at me with intensity, clearly wondering whether or not I was going somewhere with that ranting about reading random books. I decided to take his silence as an approval, and I continued:

"So not long ago, I stumbled into that book."

Vegeta frowned.

"Namek? I've heard of that planet. It's good for nothing."

I shook my head and climbed back on the bed, from which he was still looking at me.

"The other way around," I said. "It's actually good for _any_thing."

I opened the book and turned the pages, until I reached the part about the Dragon Balls, and I handed him the book. His eyes were running through the words written on the paper, and I watched his reaction very carefully. It went from the why-the-hell-is-she-showing-me-that-crap scowl, to the yeah-right-magic-balls-I'm-gonna-believe-that rolling eyes, and, finally, _finally_, what I had been wishing... the I-want-that-and-right-now greedy smirk. I about giggled, but I managed to keep it inside. Damn, this was working so well. Just as I expected. How could someone as arrogant as Vegeta could refuse three wishes?

I'd bet my own life - for all it was worth now - that the first wish would be immortality. The immortal Super Saiyan... that was _got_ to be appealing to Vegeta.

"Tomorrow, I'll be sending warriors to scavenge planet Namek and bring me back the Dragon Balls," Vegeta declared.

_What?_

"It'll take them very long," I said, "The Dragon Balls are well hidden and the Nameks are ready to die to protect them. Even if they kill everybody without getting a clue about where they are hidden, it will take your warriors a long time to search the planet's every corners to gather the Dragon Balls."

I mentally took a long, deep breath. That was it. My most risky gamble.

"The Dragon Balls emit a particular energy. An energy that can be detected. Give me two weeks and appropriate tools, and I will create a device that will spot the Dragon Balls for you."  
"A pathetic woman like you can't do that."

I had to bit my inner cheek very tight not to yell at him or slap him, or both, or worse. Now was not the time to screw it up totally.

"My father was a world-class scientist. I know I can do it, I'd bet my life on it."

Vegeta looked at me for a long, long time that felt like hours, then he opened his mouth:

"You have one week. Should you fail me or attempt to fool me, you will pay dearly."

**End of the chapter: **End's coming in a few chapters, I hadn't planned it to be a super-long fic (*glances towards Addiction*), but a short'n'sweet one ;) Hope you liked that, minus the fact that I'm laaate!


	9. At my mercy

_**Blah blah blah, music, blah blah blah:** Yeah, again, I listened to something and, if you want, you could listen as you read: Leona Lewis's "My Hands". Say thank you to Final Fantasy XIII for making me discover this, because it's about the only thing that game gave me. Along with awesome, AWESOME graphics. And a lot of frustration. Really a lot of that._

**Chapter 9: At my mercy**

I started to work on the device the next morning: Vegeta had immediately found a place where I could work without being bothered, and where I would find the tools and materials needed to give him what he needed. One week was a bit tight for what I had in mind, but I knew I could still manage. I had asked two weeks, and two weeks would've been absolutely perfect, but I knew from the start that no matter how short the delay I asked, Vegeta would've ordered me to do it faster. If I had asked for more time than that, let's say, four or even more weeks, he would've refused straight away, stating that it was too long, and he would've sent his warriors to scavenge Namek.

I truly hoped that I wasn't endangering the Nameks with my plan. Enough innocents had died by the hands of the Saiyans already, I did not want to be responsible for even more death and violence from them.

Well, if everything worked like it was supposed to work, then I would be safe, and so would Namek, but it was a very, _very_ slippery floor. So many things could happen to screw up what I had come with, but I just couldn't afford to wait until I found a safer idea. Waiting would make me totally mad, and I had gone far enough into madness already. I was about to turn completely insane, so I guess I could be forgiven for thinking that my crazy plan was just great. I felt like a poker player gone on an adrenaline trip and doing his most risky move ever. I had played my cards and my bluff, I had put all my money on the table, and I was hoping that Vegeta would fall for it.

It could fail. It could totally fail and cause my death and the destruction and slavery of the Namek people, but it could also work, so I simply had to go for it and pray for Vegeta to be so blinded by his greed that he wouldn't see anything coming. If he opened his eyes and saw through my plan and my lies, I was dead.

I was done after six days of work: I immediately told Vegeta about it.

"Are you positive it is functionning?" he asked, studying the radar I had just finished for him.  
"Yes," I said, "It will detect the unique energy emitted by the Dragon Balls, and immediately show them as bright dots on the screen. As true as you are the legendary Super Saiyan, Vegeta. May they be up in the sky, buried under rocks or sunk deep into the water, you won't miss them. That'll save you and your warriors a huge amount of time."

Vegeta glanced up at me, looking at me very carefully.

"Would you bet your own life on it?"

I slightly frowned. Deep inside, I felt very excited: that was _it._ The moment that would decide if I was going to be free or not.

"Of course I would. Really, this is a very simple device. It is _impossible_ that it will not work."

The king sneered. He did not seem to believe that a device created by a mere Earthling could be this reliable. He was arrogant - if everything kept going well, it would cause his downfall.

"Then you will come with us on Namek. If I don't get my wishes with your device, I will at least have the satisfaction of breaking your neck."

I simply shrugged, as if it did not matter to me.

"If that's what you wish, then I guess I have no other choice," I replied.  
"You're damn right you don't," he growled as a reply.

I did my best to keep my eyes down so he wouldn't see how happy I actually was that he had "invited" me on the ship. If I had _asked_ to follow them, Vegeta would've suspected I was up to something. But, if I followed him on his order, then I could catch him off guard.

Literally.

* * *

Later that day, I was staring at the landscape from "my" balcony when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I flinched and turned around, surprised by the touch that couldn't be Vegeta's - he couldn't be there so early - and my gaze met with eyes as blue as mine.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Trunks said softly.  
"You... you're back?"

He shook his head.

"I never left. I stayed in your timeline the whole time, watching over you. I wanted to make sure you wouldn't give up."

Trunks smiled.

"I should've known better. You never, ever give up. You've found your way out, haven't you?"

I nodded.

"I've found my way out and a way to make Vegeta and his people pay."

I smirked.

"I'll kill him. I'll kill them _all_."

He frowned.

"You can't wish for someone's death," he said. "You can't wish something for someone unless that person agrees, and I don't think any of them will approve."  
"I've got three wishes," I stated, looking at him directly in the eyes.

God, they were so much like mine, it was almost scary.

"One to send back the Saiyan ship on their planet. One to destruct this godforsaken planet for good. And one to give myself this happy life you told me about."  
"Don't," he said in a way that was very similar to the day he had seen me about to commit suicide.  
"Why the hell not!" I spat. "Don't you have any idea what he's done to my planet? My family, my friends, my people - killed, murdered, enslaved! Don't you know what kind of hell he's put me through? He stole everything from me! My life, my smiles, my dreams, he took _everything_ from me and crushed it between his fingers! I hate him, I hate them all!"

Tears of anger and hatred were burning my eyes and I felt them falling down my cheeks but I continued:

"He's a _monster!_ This whole planet is filled with cold-blooded monsters! Every day, they just wake up and destruct innocents lives - they don't _deserve_ to live."  
"Don't do that," Trunks said firmly, seizing my shoulders. "There are innocent women and harmless children here who did nothing to deserve to die."  
"What do I care about their women and children!" I shouted, moving back to escape his grip. "Their innocent women bear cruel creatures and their children will grow up to be monsters eventually, and what the Saiyans did to my planet will just repeat over and over again with other planets! It won't stop until _they're_ stopped!"  
"Don't."  
"I repeat, _why the hell not?_" I growled.  
"Because it isn't you."

I sneered.

"You don't know the person that I am here. The Bulma who brought you up is different."  
"She's had a different life, but a tough one too," he objected. "Her friends died, my father died even before actually telling her he loved her. She raised me on her own, in a world scared by the androids. Whatever your life has been made of can't possibly have changed your deepest nature, and my mother..._ you_ aren't cruel enough to do such a thing. You're better than this, you're better than those warriors who came on Earth to steal everything the planet had to offer. They were ruthless and you aren't - and you _mustn't_ be. Use the wishes to be happy, nothing else. Don't..."

Trunks shook his head, and for a split second, I could swear I had seen sadness into his eyes.

"Don't think all the Saiyans are the same. Go to Namek, and leave this life behind you."

He kissed my forehead and moved back, and I knew he was about to leave like he had done the first time.

"Wait!" I said, taking a step forward as he stepped on the balcony's barrier.

He turned to look at me.

"Yes?"  
"Your... your father. Did I know him before the Saiyans invaded the Earth? Is he someone I was friend with?"

Trunks remained silent for a very short while, as though he was trying to remember - or perhaps he was thinking of the proper answer - then spoke:

"No," he said, "You did not know him back then. And the war means you will never meet the man that will be my father."

Leaving me speechless, he jumped down the balcony.

* * *

"Woman!" Vegeta's voice barked. "We're landing, get the radar here!"

Landing, yeah. That was about as brutal as the landing I had endured when I had been taken to planet Vegeta. Struggling to stay on my feet, I walked towards him. He, unlike me, stood perfectly still.

"How does that think work?" Vegeta snapped. "Make it work right now!"

I grit my teeth. Enjoy yelling on me and ordering me around like that while you still can, Vegeta, because it's _over_. At this very moment, the Saiyan ship landed and I fell on the floor - or I _would_ have fallen on the floor, had Vegeta not grabbed my arm to keep me in some sort of a balance. I wished he hadn't "helped": his fingers around my arms were surely more painful than my ass on the floor. He abruptly put me back on my feet, glaring at me for being unable to stand still in such conditions.

"It's easy," I said, putting the radar in his opened hand. "Press the button there ontop, and you're all set."

Vegeta's earger finger did exactly as I had told. I mentally chuckled, and I took a step backward.

"Too greedy," I whispered as his dark eyes widened.

The few Saiyans he had brought with us as an escort had the very same reaction: wide-opened eyes, hands clutching at their chests and throats, choking noises. Shaking limbs, grimaces of pain as they fell on their knees, one by one, to finally lay on the floor I had almost fallen on just a moment ago, paralyzed by the gas from the capsule that Vegeta had just broken. I, on the other hand, was in perfect shape: humans and Saiyands are very much alike, but not _perfectly_ alike. I ignored the other Saiyans: I cared about nobody but Vegeta. I took one step towards him, staring at the immobile Saiyan king.

"How does it feel?" I asked.

My voice sounded harsh, harsher that it had ever been. I must admit I was enjoying myself right now. Don't get me wrong: I've never been a sadistic person. And yet... I was feeling some sort of unhealthy, mad pleasure when I looked down at Vegeta. At my feet. At my _mercy_.

"Of course you can't tell me," I continued, almost giggling. "Because you can't speak right now, can you?"

I smirked. I could've just left without a word, but I wanted to be doing this. It was my victory. I had earned it, I had paid it very, very dearly. I had the right to enjoy if fully.

"Of course you can't - I haven't given you the right to do so, just like you haven't given me the right to speak my mind. I want you... to think."

I kneeled next to him, staring at him right into the eyes. They shot so many things at me - anger, hatred, confusion. He didn't understand what was going on, but he knew it pissed him off royally.

"Right now you're just the way I was when a Saiyan king decided I'd be his new toy. You cannot speak, you cannot move, you can barely breathe. I can kill you, I can hurt you just for the hell of it if I want, or I can just walk away and leave you alone. That's pretty scary, isn't it? What am I going to do, what do I feel like doing to you right now? You can't know. You hate me right now... know that you can't possibly hate me more than I hate you. You're discovering, perhaps for the first time of your life... the frustration of being at someone's entire mercy. You're as powerless as I was in front of you. You know what? I can go take the Dragon Balls, and wish for your dear, _dear_ planet's destruction."

His eyes shot daggers at me, which was basically all he could do in his position. I've never felt so much hatred in one's being, other than my own.

"Hate me, Vegeta, hate me all you want, but whatever happens to you when I leave the ship will be _your_ fault. Your greed and your arrogance will have caused your downfall. What need did you have of the Dragon Balls and their wishes, when you already had so many things to be happy with? _None._ You were the Super Saiyan, king of a race of mighty warriors. You had so much power already, why more?"

I smirked.

"You really believed I was nothing, didn't you? Know one thing, Vegeta: every time I acted nice whatsoever to you... I had this moment in mind. You really are a cocky one, Vegeta. You thought I was so stupid, so not on your level of intelligence. You really didn't listen when I said I read about everything in your library, _including_ science, Vegeta, nor did you listen when I told you about my father's job. You didn't use your brain either when you gave me access to tools and technologies without any supervision. You thought a brilliant person by Earthling standards meant an idiot by Saiyan standards? I bet it never brushed your mind that a mere female human could outsmart a Saiyan, let alone the _king._ I'm a genius, Vegeta, no matter what planet I'm on. I was a world-class scientist back home, I didn't even _lie_ to hide it, and _yet_ you thought I had no brain. You really thought that the girl you captured and raped so many times would offer you immortality on a silver platter?"

I got on my feet and headed for the door.

"You and your people may or may not die today," I finally said. "Whatever happens will be my decision - you're all wrapped around my lil' pinkie, _Veggie._ I hope you enjoy this as much as I do."

I pressed the button to make the door open, and I set foot on planet Namek.

**End of the chapter: **I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as Bulma is XDNext chapter will be the last! Will Bulma use the wishes to blow up planet Vegeta, or simply get herself out of that mess? :D Cookies for those who guess right!


	10. A dream

_**Music, always music:** Seriously, what BETTER music to listen to while writing (or reading, in your case) this than "The Dragon theme" from DBZ soundtrack? Duh, I wonder :D Especially the first part. Go for it :D_

**Chapter 10: A dream**

I looked around a little: it was just like I had imagined from the books. It looked a bit like Earth - a desertic part of Earth, with lots of sand and a little bit of grass - but the sky upon my head was emerald green instead of blue. I did not see any Namek around, but I did not fear them anyway. The books I had read did not describe them as an hostile people. I meant no harm to them, thus they would do me no harm either. I knew it would take several hours for the Saiyans in the ship to recover from my homemade paralyzing gas. If I was lucky, this was enough time for me to do what I had to do. I wish I could've incapacited them for a longer set of time, but then the capsule would've been to big to fit in the radar, so that would have to be enough.

I turned on the radar with the button that was actually meant to turn it on, and looked at the green screen very carefully.

I was the goddamn luckiest woman in the Universe.

Seven dots shone in the same area. This would be far easier than I could've ever dreamed of: the fact that they weren't scattered around the planet was a real blessing. A faint smile lingering on my lips, I started to walk, following the signal on my radar.

It took me about thirty minutes to see what seemed to be a village: several white houses were gathered together, and I could even see some Nameks outside. I nearly laughed at their sight: they were the incarnation of the stereotype that comes to Earthlings' mind when we think "alien". They had bright green skin, no hair and pointed ears, and they all wore the same white robes. I lost my desire to laugh, however, when I realised that the signal from the Dragon Balls was coming from the village_ itself_, not simply from _around_ the village. That may mean trouble: I had expected them to be hidden in secret places, where I could steal them without being seen, not just in the middle of a village, where I would surely be seen. I was afraid that the Nameks would refuse to allow me to use the Dragon Balls. It was their treasure, their possession: what if they did not want to share?

If I had done all this for _nothing_... Hell, I didn't want to think about it.

By the time I reached the village, all of them had left their house to gather outside, staring at me with wide-opened eyes. They had probably never seen an Earthling before in their lives, and even I saw a child that seemed to be afraid of me. I smiled shyly to them and stopped a few meters away from the row their were forming before me.

"Hi," I said, "I... do you... understand my language?"  
"Yes," one of them, a very tough-looking one, replied. "We do. Who are you and what are you doing here?"  
"My name is Bulma Briefs."

My own name sounded weird to my ears. I had spent so much time being called "woman", so much time being insulted, that I wasn't used to hear my name anymore.

"I'm an Earthling."  
"So the ship that just landed up in the plains is from Earth?" the Namek asked, frowning.  
"No," I said, "It's... it's from planet Vegeta."

I didn't know if they had ever heard of it, but when they started to whisper hastily, I got my answer. Yes, they knew the Saiyan race, and they knew it meant bad news for them.

"The Saiyans are incapacited for now," I immediately added, "Paralyzed by a gas of my conception. Their ship will be sent back to their planet if you allow me to do so."  
"Are you insane? Why did you bring these blood-thirty creatures on our peaceful planet?" one of them barked.  
"I mean no harm! You don't need to tell me how Saiyans are, they've ravaged my planet and like so many others, I've, I've... I have been captured and made a slave. My life was Hell because of their monstruous king, and you have no idea what I went through to get here so that I could ask you... please, _please_, lend me the power of your Dragon Balls. I need the wishes to be freed from this life, I beg of you!"

The first Namek, the one that looked like a warrior, glared at me very severely, and I knew this was bad.

"Porunga is not to be summoned unless there is a true emergency," he said stiffly. "Your desire to be freed from the Saiyans does not constitue an emergercy."

His cold answer took me aback.

"But I-"  
"You come here accompanied by Saiyans to ask for our dearest treasure? _Who_ do you think you are? The legends are true - Earthlings are indeed cocky creatures."  
"Nail, Nail," a rough, almost rusty voice said from the back row. "Give that young lady a chance. Cleary, she's come a long way..."

I saw other Nameks stepping aside to allow him in the front row: he was bigger and much, much older than all of them. He was surely the Elder I had read about, the one that spawns every other Nameks.

"Elder," I said, bowing my head in hopes of showing them that I did not want to disrespect them. "Please, I know I'm asking a lot from you, but-"  
"Look at me," he ordered, "Look at me in the eyes. Show me that you are not trying to fool us."

I obeyed. My eyes were a bit wet, I was scared out of my mind that they would refuse, and yet I simply dug my gaze into his, just like he had asked me to do. He stood still and silent for a moment that seemed like eternity to me, then he said:

"I see... please bring her what she asked for. We shall summon Porunga."  
"But, Elder-" the warrior named Nail protested.

One simple glance over the shoulder from the Elder, and the other Namek shut his mouth. Seven Nameks left the small crowd I had unpurposely gathered: when they came back, each one of them was carrying an orange, shiny ball that was about as big as a basketball ball. I blinked several times, staring at the magical artifacts in surprise. I hadn't expected them to be so huge - perhaps it was a good thing that I didn't have to gather them by myself after all. Very carefully, the balls were put down on the sand, where they started to glow very gently. The glow intensified and became unbearable for my eyes as someone spoke in Namek language, and I had to close my eyes. When the golden, brilliant light faded away, I carefully opened my eyes: the sky was as dark as a sea of ink, and upon me stood the most impressive being I had ever seen.

"Woh..." I whispered, even though I didn't intend to speak.

It felt extremely powerful: its strength was so great that I took a step backward. When I had seen Vegeta as a Super Saiyan, I had seen a Messiah of the Saiyan people, but there, before my eyes, was the _God_ of the Namek people.

Really, Porunga would smack down Vegeta's Super Saiyan form with a slap of the back of his hand.

"I shall grant you three wishes within my powers," the deep, slow voice spoke.

The Namek who had agreed to summon Porunga for me looked at me, waiting for me to speak my wish.

"My first wish - I want the Saiyan ship that landed here to be returned to its planet right now," I stated.

Porunga listened to the translation of my wish: his eyes emitted a red glow, and he spoke again:

"You wish has been granted. State your second wish."  
"I wish..."

I was about to wish for planet Vegeta's destruction, like I had said to Trunks, but I stopped in mid-sentence. I thought Trunks' words about how unfair this would be hadn't meant anything to me, but now I realised how they had actually gotten to me. For some reason, I remembered the Saiyan female playing with her little girl outside her house, the one I had seen when we were taken to the palace. There were women like her and children like her on that planet, and they were innocent - Trunks had been right. Saiyans had taken innocents lives, _way _too many innocent lives, but did I really have the right to do the very same thing just to get my revenge?

"State your second wish," Porunga repeated with a hint of impatience in his voice.  
"My wish..."

_They were ruthless and you aren't. And you musn't be._

I smiled.

_You lost, Vegeta. You haven't destroyed me. I'm still Bulma. I still have mercy - even for you._

"Please take me away to the world where I am happy with my soul mate and our son."

Porunga's red eyes flickered yet again, and I knew, before he spoke, that it had worked: a soft, comfortable warm wrapped itself around me, and the Nameks and their planet disappeared.

* * *

It was the night. I was laying in a warm bed, and I could feel an arm, tightly wrapped around my waist. I lifted my left hand to my face: a golden ring shone softly to the light of the moon. I smiled. No more tears, no more fear, just happiness. In this life, I was married to a man who loved me. The smile still on my lips, I turned my head so that I could look at the person holding me.

It sent jolt through my entire body - and not in a good way. I shouted, pushed him with all my strength and put myself as far away as possible, falling on the floor on the process.

It was _Vegeta_.

"What the hell is wrong with you, woman?" he grunted.

He barely opened his eyes, and yet his face was scowling.

"If that's still a nightmare about Maji-"  
"What the hell's wrong with me? How can you ask me that?" I screamed in hystery. "Y-you..."

Tears flowed on my face: it was so unfair! Why was he still here, why was I still in his bed? I had done so many things, I had abased myself before him, I had taken terrible risks to outsmart him, I had begged an entire village... and yet, Vegeta still managed to _win? _Was there no way out of this, were my efforts in vain? Was Trunks nothing but an illusion after all? Or did the Namek make a mistake in translating my wish?

No matter how you twisted it, this was not what I had wished for - not by any stretch of imagination.

"After everything I've... I've..."

Vegeta sat up in the bed, staring at me.

"What's the big idea? Come here-"

He extended his arms to bring me closer: I immediately backed away, my eyes throwing knives at him.

"Don't _touch _me! I've had enough, I'm so tired of being-"  
"Bulma, what in the _world_ are you ranting about?" he asked, turning on a light next to the bed.

I froze. _Bulma?_ But Vegeta... Vegeta never knew my name, he never _cared_ for my name. It was only at this moment that I realised that the man sitting on the bed wasn't the Vegeta I remembered. The Vegeta who had been so cruel to me never had those scars on his chest, at least not that many: he never knew my name, and never looked so genuiely concerned by what was happening to me. For that matter... this wasn't Vegeta's royal apartments, either. It was... it was _my_ bedroom, on Earth. The decoration had changed, but I could still recognise it. Why was Vegeta on _my_ planet, in _my_ room?

My eyes wandered around, and fell on a picture on the wall. It caught my attention and I took a few steps towards it. On the picture there was a child, a boy around eight or nine years old, with stunning blue eyes and lightly purple hair.

_Trunks?_

He was sitting on a couch with... a slightly older version of me, with much shorter hair. I was smiling happily to the photographer. On the picture, I was sitting on Vegeta's lap: his face looked relatively neutral, though with some effort, I could see that he was_ almost_ smiling. A family picture, a happy family picture. But why? How? This couldn't be true, right? But then, as I looked at the photograph... for the first time, I noticed that Trunks didn't look _only_ like me. Though he was obviously taking a lot after me, with my blue eyes and my father's hair, that boy had _Vegeta's_ facial structure. The same chin, the same mouth. He even had that same haughty look.

And then, it all made sense to me. Trunks' first words, his answers that sounded almost like enigmas.

_I am nothing. Nothing but a dream that barely had the time to be formed before it was forced faded away._

_The war means you will never meet the man that will be my father._

_Don't think all the Saiyans are the same._

Trunks _was_ Vegeta's son. A half-Saiyan who was kind-hearted and who did not want me to be guilty of a massive murder. Trunks didn't tell me that his father was Vegeta because he knew I would refuse to be brought into this version of my life if Vegeta was a part of it. But Trunks said we were happy, why in the_ world_ had the Saiyan king-

_He's not the king,_ my own voice laughed in my head, _he's the prince. Look at him, he's different._

I frowned. Had I finally become truly insane to be hearing my own voice like that? The voice in my sounded so... happy, cheerful and carefree. Just like I used to sound before the Saiyans took my life away from me. And then, it hit me that all that time, I had expected to just pop into a wonderful life. I didn't think I would end up merging with my other self, but my reflection in the mirror proved it. My hair was way shorter, my face looked older, and my eyes looked so much more alive than they did on planet Vegeta.

"Woman, for fuck's sake, _say_ something before I start thinking that you actually snapped!"

_I'll show you **my** Vegeta, the one you wished for_. _Just look at him._

And then, as I agreed to lay my eyes on him again, I was overwhelmed by a warmth I had never felt before. Memories that didn't feel like mine but that were _supposed _to be mine flowed in my mind. That Vegeta was never the king of his race, and he'd never, ever done anything wrong to me. Although he was once evil, he had changed through the years -_ I_ had changed him. He had even given up his life for me, did everything in his power to save the world... only for me and our son.

He loved me, he cared for me. I knew it in my heart and soul.

"Bulma?"

Warm thumbs wiped my tears away, and two deep onyx eyes met with my blue ones.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, allowing his arms to bring me closer. "I had some sort of a nightmare..."  
"Tst, _woman_ - only you can have a mere dream and freak out like that."

I closed my eyes. The hands that had hit and held me so many times were now caressing my hair ever so gently, the body I had tried to push away countless times now felt more reassuring than anything else in the world.

My wish had truly been granted.

**End of the story:** Yup, that's the end ^^ told you she'd actually end up with Vegeta :D I knew the final scene from the freaking beginning ;) give me your feedbacks, I love them!


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